The Forest's Blood
by A Clipped Wing
Summary: The last memories I still retain from my lush homelands are of overcast skies and sakura petals, straying off the forest path and out onto cobble stone streets with buildings as tall as an oak tree might of not been the best idea for a guardian of the forests.
1. Chapter 1 The Forest Nymph

The sun has always been a fascination to me. Some how the sun always finds the strength to rise at dawn and greet the terrors of a new day and yet always retires back to it's slumber when dusk arrives. The sun seems to enjoy mocking me constantly with it's bright, burning strength; that's why the clouds have always been a dear friend to me, they cover what I'd rather not see. That's one of the reasons why this morning is an especially enjoyable one for me, when I wake the sky is overcast and small rain droplets hit the forest floor silently. I slip from the tree I was resting in with a yawn as I head towards a stream I often drink from , the tree's around me sway slightly as I pass,

" Good morning to you all."

I greet them with a smile and they rustle the leaves on their branches in response, when I reach the stream I sit and start scooping the water with my hands, as I bring the water to my lips I stare at my reflection; my dark gold hair nearly touches the surface of the water as I lean over it, light brown eyes with slight ripples in them stare back at me inquisitively as I continue to sit in silence. This is the way I've lived for almost nineteen years at this point, the forest has always taken care of me for as long as I can remember; I stand and make my way to plum thicket near the edge of the forest, the tree's make their view of my decision quite apparent as the violently shake their branches at me. I pout slightly,

" Why not? This is my forest."

The tallest tree out of the group extends a long branch towards the ground, " _Where the forest ends you no longer hold your power, if you must go out please take one of the forests guardians with you._"

A small dear nudges against the palm of my hand and I sigh, " Fine, I'll be back by midday."

I turn and head towards the thicket with the dear following after me leisurely, life can become very boring in this forest of mine; especially when I can only talk to the creatures of this forest.

The wind pushes against my back, " _Move…_"

I look out at the expanse of land before me and take a small step forwards, the grass is soft beneath my bare feet as I reach towards a plum. The sun peeks through the clouds slightly creating the pale sunlight that shines over the entire forest. I walk past a fresh water brook and jump in, my feet hit the bottom of the bank and I start to move forwards, suddenly I feel something wrapped around my leg. I flail about before losing my footing and falling into the water, when I pull myself onto the land I see it then; a small stuffed bear has wrapped itself around my leg, " Why is a stuffed bear in the brook anyway?"

I pull at it's arms in an attempt to pull it off, it then lifts it's back legs and kicks my feet out from under me, " Ow! It moves?!"

I toss the bear to the side and it goes limp as it hits the ground, I stare at the bear for a few minutes before I stand and walk over to it cautiously. It sits up and totters over to be with a piece of paper in it's paw, " This… is it for me?" I ask and it nods it's head, the letter is mostly still intact and I open it gently to not rip the delicate paper

_Return to the sacred spring in the woods, my child of the forest._

I fold the paper and look down at the bear, " Many thanks, I hope you're able to find your way back by yourself."

It nods and I head towards the tree line only to feel a tugging on the hem of my dress and I turn to see the bear, we stand in silence for a few minutes before I break out into a smile, " If you wanted to come you could of just said so."

I pick him up and sit him upright on my shoulder, after we walk in silence for a few minutes I decide create some conversation, " You haven't given me your name yet, I'll start by saying that my name is Mikan and yours is?"

I prompt, he points towards his chest and I stare at him with a confused look on my face, " Your name is…. Bear?" Bear nods and gestures towards the woods urgently, " I know, I know. I'll hurry up." I sigh and try to quicken my pace.

When I reach the outskirts of the sacred spring I rest for a minute, my feet ache slightly, "_ You mean to tell me that you intend to send her away?! What was the point of hiding her in the first place if we couldn't keep her safe here!_"

A rough voice shouts out and startles me, " _Calm yourself, you know why we must send her away._" I sneak a bit closer, intrigued by this discussion, "_ Mikan, if you're interested in this conversation then make your presence known._"

I flinch slightly before entering the clearing where the tree's are discussing the problem at hand; grandmother mother tree gestures for me to sit, " _I fear our time together has been cut short, my dear_."

The surrounding tree's start to mutter their disapproval, grandmother tree let's out a dry cough, silencing them all. I look down at my knotted fingers, " And why is that? Has something happened?"

I ask nervously, " _No, not yet. But I fear that trouble is soon going to approach, I fear that's all I can tell you for the moment_."

All is silent for a moment before one of the younger tree's starts to speak, "_ We must send you away,_"

I slam my fist against the forest floor and narrow my eyes, " I refuse to leave my home, you have no right no make me leave this forest." Grandmother tree slams a branch of hers against the ground, " _You'd better remember who holds the absolute power in this forest, I am the main guardian of the forest of origin. You are my second in command and while you hold the power of nature you lack the strength to fight._"

I stand abruptly only to have Bear kick my legs, making me fall, " _Listen well, child of mine._" Grandmother tree strokes my cheek with her soft vines, " _I am sending you away to good friend of mine, she holds the power to protect you._" A small tear runs down my cheek,

" _We've prepared some clothes and money for you to use when you're out in the human world_." A small bird drops a leather bag that I clutch to my chest, " _I'm sending this bear with you as a guide, stand child_."

I stand and grandmother tree hands me a small dagger made of a lustrous metal, " _We call it moon metal, it's very sturdy and strong._"

I run my fingers over the wooden hilt, roses and vines are intricately carved into the wood, " _You should leave now, if the weather stays good you should be able to get there by tomorrows moonlight hours._" I nod and Bear grabs my legs, " _I think it's time you should go, stay safe, my dear child_."

I turn and wipe my tears, " _If you ever need us, call to the tree's and the wind. They'll carry your voice to us_." I don't reply, instead I merely walk out into the forest and out onto the main path, Bear rests on my hip as we walk in silence. The rain starts the fall down harder and the sky is streaked with lightning as I walk past the sakura tree's, their petals are damp from the rain and they fall gently to the ground, catching in my hair and clothes as I leave my home and bound towards my new journey.

**Hi, so this is the first time I've ever written a fanfic ( I've written stories on FictionPress, my username is " A Plucked Flower" I generally write romance stories, right now I'm working on two stories, " Estonia's Tea Shop" and " The Miserable Things" Check them out if your interested!) I'll probably introduce the others in the next chapter. Don't forget to review and favorite! **


	2. Chapter 2 A Cobblestone Maze

The rain still beats down relentlessly as I make my way down the muddy path. Bear is soaked with rain water and I can't say I'm faring any better, my moss dress is heavy with rain and extremely uncomfortable. When we reach a break in the road Bear points to the left, " Do you have any idea to where we're going?"

I ask but Bear just continues to point to the left, I sigh and move forwards. I briefly stop at a blueberry bush, everything is still as the rain falls, " _You must keep moving_." The rain whispers and I let out another long sigh, " I don't know where I'm going nor do I know why I'm going there in the first place, do you know where I'm going?"

I ask the air around me, nothing but silence, " _I only know that your destination is in the lands of Ember_." My eyebrows narrow in confusion, " Who am I going to meet when I get there?" The thunder resounds through the air and the rain stops, it appears my time with the rain is over; time to greet the sun.

" I don't like these lands," I say as I view my surroundings with distaste, " The nature reeks of sorrow, how do people even live here?"

Bear shrugs and we continue to move down through the barren lands, a woman dressed in rags walks ahead of me, glancing back at me, " Is something wrong?" I ask and she shakes her head slightly, " You just look a bit…. strange." I blink at her,

" I'm not from these lands, I'm heading towards the lands of Ember." The woman laughs, " You're currently _in_ the lands of Ember,"

Her eyes narrow as she stares off into the sun, " I don't recommend you stay here long, nothing but war and hunger in this damned country." She scowls and stops when we reach a small house on the side of the path, she turns to face me, " Would you like to come in? I fear I only have tea to offer you though."

I smile and shake my head, " I still have to repay you for your company,"

I kneel and rest the palm of my hand against the cold earth; it's only then that I can finally hear it, the heart beat of the earth. Raw and unrefined, the woman regards me with wide eyes, " How did you- " I turn and head down the path, content with the soft grass underfoot, " I hope these fields serve you well."

I call out to her and continue walking as people emerge from they're houses, a small boy pats the grass in awe, " It's real! Real grass and look at our crops!" I slip through the crowd of smiling people and make my way down the path with Bear on my shoulder, " When I first got here I couldn't feel the earths heart beat at all," I pat his head, " The power of the tree's seems to be quite useful."

" Is **that **where I'm supposed to go?"

I ask in disbelief as I stare at the gray walls that span the perimeter what I assume is a town of some sort; When I make it to the entrance I spot a man dressed in armor with a spear at his side, " Halt, for what reason are you entering our kingdom at this time of night?"

He points the tip of the spear to my face and I sigh, shifting slightly onto one leg and pushing the spear to the side slightly, " There's no need for violence, we can both avoid conflict if you'll just let me in."

He blinks for a moment but then laughs, " Miss, it seems you've had a bit too much to drink. Head on home now to your mumma and papa."

He pats my shoulder condescendingly, I scowl and then spend an unreasonable amount of time going about the wall, looking for another opening of sorts, " It's no use, I've got no way to enter." Bear points upwards towards the wall, " I don't understand." Bear continues to point, this time a bit more forcefully.

My eyes widen as I finally understand, " You want me to scale the wall?! You must be joking."

I shriek and Bear gives me a thumbs up, confirming my suspicions; The wall is tall as the great oak tree's I climbed with ease in the forest but tree's are warm, they have branches and grooves to hold onto which greatly aid climbing. I rest my hand against the cold, stone wall and glance behind me before I start to climb.

The cold night wind pushes against my already unsteady form; at least when climbing a tree when and if you fall you'll hit some branches on your way down that will soften the blow slightly, if I fall now it's all over. I grasp the next nearby brick only to have it crumple in my hands and fall down to the ground with a loud thump, I quickly head on to the next brick and finally hoist myself onto the flat roof of the wall. I stand and look around a bit, there's a make shift staircase that lines the wall, I tentatively set my foot onto the first step and shiver as I start to make my way slowly down the staircase.

" Well that could have been better."

I say as I finally hit the cobble stone street below me; The sun is just starting to rise yet I still wince as the cold travels through my bare feet and start to walk down the street. A handful of men sit outside a large house with odd symbols carved into the wood above the main door, " Excuse me miss," I turn as I feel someone touch my shoulder, " Might I offer you a drink? Just a quick one?" A man with red cheeks and unfocused eyes asks me, " No thank you, let go."

He snickers, " It's only a drink, no need to get angry. Come on now, dear."

He attempts to push me towards the pub, I pull out the dagger, hitting him with the hilt before swiftly walking off, " You wretch!"

I hear him shout before the sound of heavy feet make me bolt down the street; nothing is even slightly familiar, narrow streets filled with loud people all in strange clothing.

I quickly duck into an extremely narrow street and quiet my breathing as the man runs past me without noticing, I let out a sigh of relief, " Excuse me-" I turn and point the dagger at the persons throat, it's only then that I realize it's a girl, her light blue eyes widen with shock, " I apologize, I thought you were someone else." She lets out a nervous laugh as I place the dagger back into my bag, " No worries,"

She runs a hand through her dark pink hair, I touch the curls without thinking before withdrawing my hand, " Sorry." I look down and she let's out another bright laugh,

"It's fine, this is the product of my sisters experiments that had gone wrong." She surveys me, " If you don't mind me saying this, you look a bit odd yourself."

I blush and look down at the street, " Only your clothes," She quickly amends before she points to a house behind her, " My name is Anna by the way, would you like to come into my shop?" I nearly reject her offer but the sound of heavy foot steps and loud voices send me running into the shop.

I've heard of houses from the animals in the forests, the field mice especially loved to tell me about the nooks and cranny's of the houses the lived in but never before I have I ever been in one, " Is everything alright?"

Anna asks me as she sets her coat onto a chair and lights a candle, " Yes..."

I answer slowly as I look around the room, bright colors litter the walls, " May I get changed?"

I ask and Anna nods, I set my bag down and start to strip off my moss dress, " What are you doing!?"

She shrieks and throws me a blanket which I catch uncertainly, " You want me to wear this?" She shakes her head violently, " Have you never dressed properly before?! Your not even wearing undergarments!"

I narrow my eyes in confusion and Anna let's out a deep sigh before heading off into a room.

I turn to my bag and rummage through it before pulling a dress out. Anna reemerges from her room with two strange objects in her hands, " Here, you can have mine. I'm not sure if they'll fit you though..." I stare at her for a moment, " How do I put these on? What are these for?"

She stares at me for a moment, " Lift your arms, I'll help you put it on."

I do as I'm told as she slips the strange contraption over my arms and onto my chest, " What is this for?"

I ask again and she snorts, " It's lingerie, it's what women wear to... Never mind, it's not important but you must wear one everyday."

When she's done I move my arms around, " It's a bit tight but not too uncomfortable."

She blushes yet again and hands me another strange article of clothing, " These are panties, slip the over your legs."

I do and she finally relaxes, " There, all decent now." I pull the sun dress over my head, the fabric is a light golden silk, Anna runs her hands over the material, " This is lovely, a bit thin considering winter is approaching though." Anna snaps her fingers and heads towards her room again but this time she hands me a cream colored shawl, " Here, now tell me about yourself."

" Your trying to tell me that your a farmers daughter?"

When I nod she erupts into laughter, " You can fool me, I've met a handful of farmers and their daughters, they're all plain faced."

I bite my tongue, she already saw through my lie, " I won't pester you; I must know though, where do you plan on going?"

I shrug, " Visiting my grandmothers friend," Anna stands and heads over to the kitchen, " Here," She tosses me a brush, " Brush your hair while I make you something to eat." I run the brush through my hair as Anna hums out a tune in the kitchen, " Here, not much but I think you'll enjoy it."

We sit in silence for a moment, " Anna! Help!"

A voice cries out and we run to the room which the cry came from, Anna throws the door open, reviling a girl with dark, long hair; her dark blue dress is covered in a dark green substance, " Nonoko! What happened!?"

Anna cries and Nonoko looks close to tears as well, " I ruined my favorite dress! And my experiment failed terribly!" Anna stares at Nonoko for a moment, " Really? Is that all?" She sighs and points towards me, " We've got a guest over, you could be a bit more proper."

Nonoko blushes and then bows slightly, " Sorry, nice to meet you." She looks down at her dress, " Let me get changed first and then we can talk." She slips her dress off and grabs another, this ones black. We reach the kitchen and Nonoko turns to me, " I haven't gotten your name yet."

I smile, " My name is Mikan," Nonoko is about to respond but the growling from my stomach interrupts her, we stare at each other for a moment before we both break out into laughter, " I know a good place to eat in town, you want to come as well, Anna?" She asks and Anna stretches slightly, " Why not, it's a lovely morning to go out into town."

We head out onto the street, Bear shifts in my bag slightly, " Calm down, we'll keep moving afterward."

I whisper to him and he finally stills, " Is this your first time in the country of Ember?

Nonoko asks and Anna snorts, " She was trying to tell me earlier that she was a farmers daughter, can you believe that?"

Nonoko giggles, " That was a bad lie, Mikan. Trust me, farmers daughters are never very pretty." My cheeks redden slightly as we turn the corner and out onto what Anna calls the main street; the street is almost alive with people, Nonoko pulls out some silver coins, " Let's go to my favorite part of the market."

She grins widely as we make our way through the large crowd of people; I try to keep up with them but their too well acquainted with the fast pace of the crowd and I can hardly move an inch, I see a small opening through the waves of people and move forwards only to be knocked on my feet by an unexpected figure.

I look up angrily, dark red eyes stare critically back at me, " Don't just sit there, "

His voice is cold, matching his stern face. Unkempt black hair falls into his eyes and he pushes it back; suddenly a small smirk falls across his face, " Although I must say, I am getting a rather nice view from up here." I don't understand what he means at first, I look down to see what he calls a nice view, " I don't understand how you can find beauty in a cobblestone street," He chuckles, " Well stated, I wasn't talking about the street though."

I look down again, " I still don't understand what you mean," I stand and cast him a strange look, " I guess people can find loveliness in everything," I tap the ground with my foot, " Although, it should be stated that having feelings of admiration towards cobblestone might not be exactly healthy; The street will never return your feelings sadly, good bye." I say as I walk off in the direction of Anna's and Nonoko's voice.

**This chapter took me FOREVER to write, mostly cause I accidentally deleted it and had to start all over. Not to mention I also had mid-terms last week. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to favorite and review, bye!**


	3. Chapter 3 The Imperial Knight

" Ah, there you are." Anna offers me a small parcel, " We got you something, I don't know if you'll like it but Nonoko said she thought it suited your tastes."

I accept it and stare at it for a moment before tearing into it; inside is a small pouch of strawberries, " Nothing too fancy for the farmers daughter." Nonoko giggles wildly and throws her hands upwards, " Let's move on, I want to show you the fabric district." Both Anna and Nonoko grab my arms and pull me through yet another large crowd of people.

" That reminds me, why aren't you wearing shoe's?"

Anna gestures down to my feet and I give her a confused look, " What are shoe's?"

I ask and they both stare at each other, Anna let's out a sigh, " I'll be right back."

She heads off and Nonoko stretches her arms slightly, " I think it's time you tell us who you are truthfully, there's no need to lie to us." I bite my tongue and say nothing, Anna comes back with a small box that she sets at my feet, " I suppose you'll need my help with putting them on as well."

She kneels and opens the box, " These protect your feet, you'll need them." I hesitate, " No- I don't want to wear them." I tremble slightly, " If I wear those then I fully become one of you, please. Just allow me this much." I look up towards the sky; the sun is still there, mocking me to no end with it's bright complexion and unwavering confidence.

I'm torn from my thoughts as Nonoko rests a hand on my shoulder, " We won't force you to do something you don't like even if I really don't understand what's wrong with shoes, come on."

She pulls on my hand, " I think it's time me head home, the bakery will open soon without us."

We head back out onto the main street, the cheerful air is gone now replaced with something more sinister, " No! Please, not her! She's only twelve!" A shrill voice shouts out, Nonoko's grip tightens as she and Anna throw a glance at each other, " We need to head home, hurry."

I look behind me; a crowd of people have formed as the screams get louder, " W-Wait, let go." I pull my hand from hers and make my way through the crowd, " Mikan! Don't go, you won't be able to change anything!" I ignore Anna's voice and push people out of my way; I can see it now, the screams seem to echo around as everything turns to ice as the scene plays out.

A small girl screams as an older man grips her shoulder and tries to pull her away from a crying older woman, the whispers of the people around me seem to blend in and create a chorus of mockery, " Please, take me in her place!"

The older woman has tear stained cheeks as she bows at the man's feet, he dismisses her, " I'm only interested in the young ones, leave."

He kicks her in the stomach which evokes a loud, snapping sound as the woman bends at her knees and coughs up blood. The man runs a hand up the girls thigh as she flails about in his arms, " No one can touch an imperial knight, if you hurt him you'll surely die."

An old man with a hunched over back grumbles, " This country has abused it's people for years, that girl will become another plaything for the knights to enjoy until she becomes too much trouble and they throw her out onto the streets to die." I blink and then close my eyes, " I don't know much about the world, is this something you can see everywhere?" He scoffs, " Possibly, but this kind of utter humiliation is seen constantly here. What do you plan to do?"

He gazes up at me and suddenly his eyes become hard, " I warn you against seeking action yet you still seem hesitant to walk away; I'll ask you once more, what do you plan to do?"

My hand drift down to my bag and I grip the dagger and slowly walk out to the man, " Another pretty young lady has presented herself in front of me, such luck!"

He snorts and drops the girl to the ground, he approaches me with a sick grin, " That's not a very nice look you've got in your eyes,"

He scowls and his eyes narrow, " If you come here now I might be a bit more gentle."

I set my bag on the ground and draw the dagger out of it's sheath; the sunlight it's the lustrous metal as I lift it up and point it at him, " Leave now, hurting you would be an easy task."

He stiffens and then growls at me, " Don't act so cocky, wretch."

He sloppily draws his own sword and charges at me, I quickly step to the side as he swings his blade wildly; he then thrusts the sword towards my head without warning, it swipes my cheek slightly and I move in suddenly and burry the dagger into his right shoulder.

He cries out and I quickly withdrawal as he falls to the ground while clutching his shoulder, " Move, it's the imperial knights."

The crowd quickly parts as a group of men make their way to where I stand, one of them seems vaguely familiar as he runs a hand through coal black hair, " You're the man from earlier, The one who fell in love with the street."

His eye twitches slightly, " And your the idiot from earlier that is far too oblivious for your own good and know it seems you're causing even more trouble."

I frown at wipe the blood off the dagger then tilt my head, " If this is how all of your people act I fear you have not right to talk to me in such a manner."

he raises his eyebrows in surprise, " Such a tone, especially from a criminal."

He points towards the man on the ground, " Hurting an imperial knight can end in death,"

We stand in silence for a moment, " Take me to your leader." Nonoko and Anna burst through the crowd, " Please, sir Natsume! You must understand, she isn't from here. She doesn't understand!"

Anna starts to cry and Nonoko holds her, Natsume walks forwards and grabs my arm, " You want to see our queen? Fine, I'll lead you." He gives me a cold smile, Follow me."

We stand outside of a tall, regal structure, " Never seen a castle before, have you?"

Natsume walks in front of me up the stairs that lead to the main entrance, " No, Tell me of this queen you talked about earlier."

He sighs, " I expected you'd already know of her, you really are a dunce." I shove him and he rolls his eyes, " Queen Kaoru is quite well known by all as the queen of Ember, she's an amazing military strategist."

We walk down a well decorated corridor before reaching an enormous door, He pushes on the wood and it creaks open loudly; inside lies a lone woman sitting on a throne that seems to be forged from fire itself, " Beautiful, isn't it?"

She strokes the burning armrest admiringly, " It's made of blazestone,"

She turns to me, eyes stained deep red, " It seems your the one I've been waiting for, welcome."

I remain silent as she stands and makes her way gracefully over to me, " I thought I'd have to send a search party out to find you, Mikan." She strokes my hair back, " How do you know my-" She pushes a finger against my lips, " The grand tree has asked me to watch over you, you'll be staying here now."

" She's the guest you told me about?"

Natsume scoffs, " I was expecting someone more important looking,"

I shot him a glare, Kaoru laughs, " Let's talk about this over a meal, I'm sure you're hungry." Natsume attempts to walk away but Kaoru grabs the back of his head, " I'm sure you're hungry as well, Natsume." She drags him and talks to me happily as we walk down the hall.

" Do you enjoy lamb or venison?"

We sit at a large table with several plates of food littering all along the table, " Venison, please."

He hands me a plate and I set it in front of me, when I start to eat they both cast me a strange look, " What's wrong? Are you two not going to eat?"

Natsume sighs, " I knew you were a complete dunce but this is going to far; did anyone ever teach you how to eat properly with a knife and fork?"

I sink my teeth into the venison and shake my head, " What are those?"

Kaoru laughs and hits Natsume, he holds the back of his head in pain and glares at her, " Don't worry, continue to eat and we can talk when you've finished."

She glances around for a moment, " Where's Aoi? I thought I sent for her already." Suddenly the doors burst open and a girl of about fifteen burst him; her hair is just as dark as both Kaoru and Natsume's.

Her eyes are also a deep blood red but like Kaoru her eyes are bright with amusement, " You must be the one mother has been talking about!"

She races over to me and grabs both of my hands, " My name is Aoi, I'm sure we'll be great friends!" I give her a slight nod, " We can be friends but let me finish my food first." She blushes and let's go of my hands, " I'm sorry, I got too excited." I smile and sit back down, Aoi sits next to me and smiles brightly, " I suppose it's time we talk, would you care to introduce yourself properly?" Kaoru rests her head on her hand and I set my leg of venison down and sit up straight, " My name is Mikan, child to the forest of origin."

**Yay! New chapter! This chapter was pretty easy to write cause I had a lot of help from friends. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, don't forget to leave a review, Bye.**


	4. Chapter 4 A Heart Forged From Wood

" What an introduction, very dramatic indeed."

Kaoru claps her hands and leans back in her plush chair, " I suppose it's time to tell you what brings you to our humble lands,"

Bear climbs out of my bag and sits on my lap, his eyes glowering at the rest of the table, Aoi let's out a squeal, " You sound like a dying pig, stop shrieking already."

Natsume growls; Bear walks across the table and over towards Aoi, her eyes are sparkling, " Do you want to play?"

She extends her hands towards Bear, He accepts hesitantly, " Back to the discussion at hand," Kaoru coughs slightly, " I owe a debt to the grand tree from long ago,"

She runs a hand through her ebony hair, " I don't know if your aware but the forest of origin is slowly dying." I freeze, " Dying? What do you mean-" I rest my head in my hands, " I was requested not to tell you much, the grand tree made me swear an oath." Kaoru stands and walks over to me, she rests a comforting hand on my shoulder and strokes my hair, " Don't cry, I swore that I would protect you." She says in a soothing tone and then pats my head, " Why should we take care of this useless girl? She's far too stupid to stay in our presence."

He shakes his head at me with a smirk plastered on his face.

I roll my eyes, " Coming from the man that fell in love with a road."

I mutter and he scowls at me, " You dunce, this is exactly what I was talking about." he stands and stomps out of the room, Aoi rushes to my side, " I can't wait to show you rest of the castle, you can share my room." She chatters on as she pulls me away from Kaoru, " Mikan," I turn and face her, " Pick those who you choose to trust carefully."

" And this is the kitchen,"

Aoi waves her hands excitedly as we pass the large room filled with people; she leads me down another hall until we reach a large door on the left, " This leads out onto the main ballroom,"

She pushes on the door.

The room is a mix of blacks and reds, the walls are adorned with colorful paintings of a woman with long, golden flowing hair, " That's the goddess of all Alices, simply beautiful."

Aoi's delicate voice fills the room, I tremble slightly as I look up at the beautiful painting, " Lovely, what's an Alice?"

A shrill laugh echo's in the large room, " Are you an idiot or something?"

A girl with dark green curls emerges from an open hallway and saunters over to us, her face smeared with disgust, " Sumire, she's our guest."

The girl sneers at Aoi, " Quiet, I'm educating this idiot." She turns to me, pointing up towards the painting, " The goddess Alice granted us powers called Alice's, people such as myself are able to have them at our disposal."

I sigh, " That sounds ridiculous," I rest my hand on my hip, " You dare doubt our holy goddess?"

Sumire shrieks and even Aoi throws me a look, " I don't doubt your goddess, I only have doubts that someone like yourself was blessed with such powers."

She gasps and a round of snickers erupt from Aoi, " Y-You insolent little!" She raises her hand to strike me but I catch it with ease as she struggles, " Let me go!" I release her, she rubs her wrist, " Don't think you got away with this!"

She hisses as she scurries away from the room, " That was amazing Mikan, Sumire is the daughter of a well known noble so not many people get to talk down to her in such a manner!" Aoi throws her arms around me, " I'd never try to stand up to Sumire! I'm not brave enough." Aoi fiddles with her hair before smiling again, " I'll show you our room."

" You can sleep with me in my bed, there should be enough room."

Aoi grins and I give her an uncertain smile in return, " I suppose but… What's a bed?"

Aoi raises her eyebrows, " It's where you sleep, did you not have a bed?" I shake my head, " I slept in the tree's, it's very comfortable."

Aoi laughs; when she turns I finally let the smile fall from my face, I miss the forest. The stone underfoot is cold and foreign and my eyes feel heavy with the need to sleep, " This is it, what do you think?"

I'm thrown from my thoughts as I step into the room; the walls are a light pink and the room is mainly dominated by what I suppose is the bed she was talking about, " Try sitting on it." Aoi calls as she walks into the room and sets Bear down on the floor, I tentatively lay down on the bed, slightly surprised at how soft it is, " Don't get used to it," Natsume's voice rings out and I sit back up, " Natsume! What are you doing in our room?" Natsume leans against the doorway, his arms folded, " I was told to lead the idiot to her room." he walks towards me and grabs my arm, " I thought Mikan would be staying with me though…"

Aoi trails off as Natsume leads me out of the room, " Mother told me I was the one who would be watching her, if you've got a problem with it then take it up with her." I narrow my eyes, " There's no need for you to act like a jerk." He turns to me, " What did you say? I couldn't hear you over the utter stupidity in your voice."

His voice full of pure annoyance, " This is your room, it connects to mine," He turns and scowls, " I'll say this much, I'm not interested in becoming friends with you so don't talk to me." He pushes me through the open door and into the room, this one is much smaller than Aoi's with light blue walls and a small grey bed in the corner, " I'll call for you when supper is ready, until then don't bother me." He walks away, I throw my bag to the floor and fall into bed, " I want to go home, I hate people like him." I let out an unwanted sob as I burry my face into my bed.

After a few minutes of crying I stand and walk over to the open window, " Stop crying so much, the sound of your sobs are annoying,"

I turn to face Natsume, his face softens slightly as he views my tear stained face, " Anyway, don't cry; you'll look uglier at dinner and Aoi would get worried." He pinches my nose before dragging me out of the room, " Where are we going?"

We stop at a large window that overlooks most of the courtyard, suddenly he picks me up, " Wh-What are you doing!?"

I hear him grunt as he jumps from the window; if I die now, will I be able to return to the forest? Maybe death won't be so bad, " Hey, could you loosen your grip a bit. We've already landed, there's no need to hold onto to me." I open my eyes and gaze at the grassy area around us in confusion, " I'm not dead?"

He snorts loudly and stands, offering his hand out to me, " Of course not; don't be stupid, besides I've got something to show you." I take his hand as we walk through the well shaded path, the grass is soft underfoot, " You should take your shoe's off," I mutter and he turns to look at me as though I was daft or something, " Just trust me."

He let's out a long sigh before slipping off his boots.

The area around us is flush with wildlife, exotic flowers grow around tall cedar trees, " It's beautiful, I didn't think your country would have such life stirring within it."

I say admiringly as I stroke the bark of a nearby tree, the trees branches sway lightly and I grin, " They're very docile creatures you know,"

I hear him scoff, " It's a tree." He states firmly, I shake my head at him, " You're far too cynical, can you feel the heartbeat of the earth?" I kneel and lay on the grass, " All you need to do is touch the earth, can you feel it yet?"

He sits next to me with closed eyes, after a few moments he opens them angrily, " I can't feel anything, this was a waste of time." He stands but I quickly grab his leg, " Wait! I'll show you how to feel it, sit back down." He returns, his scowl evident, " Give me your hand."

I take his hand before he can reply; I lay his hand against the ground, " Child, I warn you that not all can feel the heartbeat. It's only there for those who are willing to believe in our power."

The calm voice of the earth fills my head, I trace the ground my free hand, " Please, I'd like to show this person your strength."

I whisper and Natsume looks at me strangely, " Wait just a moment,"

I release his hand and rest both of my palms against the earth, I can feel the earths power resonating within my soul, " A heart forged from wood…" I mutter as I lift my hand and rest it on Natsume's forehead, " Eye's tainted with sunlight…" A green light starts to flow from my fingertips, " What did you-"

I remove my fingers, his eyes are wide with shock, " Is this the heartbeat you were talking about?" He plays with a twig, " It's warm… Very kind." He turns his head as the faint sound a bell resounds faintly, " It's time for supper, Come." He stands and walks off, I hastily stand and run to his side, " You can tell me more about nature after supper." I grin and playfully shove his arm, " It would be my pleasure but in return you have to tell me more of these so called Alice's."

**Hi everyone! I'm sorry it took me a little while to write this chapter, I was very sick for most of the week ( I lost my voice and couldn't go for 3 minutes without coughing) I wanted to add a bit of romance between our two future love birds to this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed reading! Don't forget to leave some reviews, bye!**


	5. Chapter 5 A Misjudged Emotion

We walk in a comfortable silence as we cut through the garden path, the blue of the sky is interrupted slightly by a handful of soft looking clouds; I let out a content sigh as a light wind starts to caress me gently, if I close my eyes I can almost envision my old home, " What are you thinking about?"

I open my eyes, Natsume keeps his eyes trained forwards as we approach the exit to the garden, " I was thinking about what a nice day it is, that's all."

I assure him with a smile, we walk out onto a path of stone.

Natsume slips his shoes back on and turns back to me with a small frown, " Why aren't you walking on the path?"

I only then notice that I've been walking on the grass next to the path, I let out a timid laugh, " I apologize, I'm still not used to walking on stone,"

I smile lovingly down at lush grass underfoot, " You're too strange for your own good, you're getting your feet all dirty." He sighs, we near the entrance to the main courtyard, " Natsume! You flame summoning bastard!"

A deep males voice comes out of no where suddenly, a man with long dark hair emerges and charges towards us but then stops when his eyes land on me, " Tono, if you've come to waste my time I fear I'm running on very little tolerance already." Natsume spits out venomously, Tono stiffens slightly before relaxing, a lazy smirk resting on his lips, " I'd never start an argument in front of such a lovely lady such as this,"

He reaches forwards and claims a lock of my hair and brings it to his lips, " Would you allow me to ask of your name, my dear?"

I blink before stuttering, " M-My name is Mikan." He smiles, " Leach."

Natsume suddenly breaks in between us, shoving Tono to the side, " Someone seems a bit violent today." Yet another man suddenly jumps onto Natsume's back, clinging fiercely as Natsume attempts to swat him away like an you would an annoying pest, " You're treading on thin ice Tsubasa, get off." Natsume growls and Tsubasa finally let's go, his eyes settling on me, " Tono, did you hear what this little brat just said!? Such a bad attitude."He laughs.

I stare at him for a moment before noticing the small star shaped mark just below his right eye, " I think I should just say that ass of a royal knight has finally died,"

Tono says while running a hand through his dark hair, " Good riddance but what will we say to his family?"

Natsume asks, letting go of my wrist, " He had no wife or children to be heard of and his mother and father are long dead."

I stiffen slightly at the mention of the man from earlier, " It's also worth mentioning that your mother was looking for you, I think Ruka went looking for you." Natsume nods, " I'll be in the dining hall soon, could you lead Mikan there?" He turns and walks away, " I'll go look for Ruka."

" Such a shame, if he just kept his mouth shut he'd be quite handsome."

Tsubasa says while letting out a small " Tsk."Tono laughs heartily and both take their places on either side of me as we walk through the castle, " I honestly think the queen trained him to be that cold at times, what about you? Mikan."

I fiddle with a strand of my hair, " He is strange," My fingers leave the braid I was working on, content with my work, " When we first met he confessed his love for the cobblestone street to me."

Tsubasa nearly trips over his own feet, " What?! You're leaving out too many details, explain." Tono says incredulously, " Well, I was walking through the market district when I bumped into Natsume and fell to the ground." I gesture towards the ground, " When I looked up he was standing over me, smiling while saying something about 'Enjoying the view from up here' There was nothing below me but the street so I assumed he was talking about his love for the street."

Tsubasa covers his mouth, obviously trying to stifle a laugh. Tono looks down at the ground, " Lucky bastard."

I can barely hear him mumble but before I'm able to question Aoi barrels down the hall, her face flushed with excitement, " Tono! Tsubasa! We're having a big dinner in the main room today! Aren't you excited!?" She gives them both a quick embrace before taking me by the arm, " Come on, I'm starved."

" Sometimes when I can't wait for dinner I'll head off to the kitchen and steal a few bits of food."

Aoi giggles as she peeks through the open door of the kitchen, " If you've come to steal food you could at least be a little quieter."

Aoi let's out a shriek as I whip around to view the woman that spoke; A young tall woman with slightly red hair leans against the the door frame, a large bag in her hands, " Misaki! What are we having tonight?" Misaki walks passed us and sets the bag down on a table, " I'm not sure yet but if you plan to stay here be of some help to me." Her brown eyes land on me, " Who's this?"

She smiles as she wipes her hands on her apron, " This is Mikan, she's staying as our guest." Aoi grins and ties up her short black hair, " I'll go get some water from the well." She heads to the back door and it opens suddenly, two sets of oddly colored heads walking in.

One with bright pink locks and another with deep blue tresses, " No need Princess Aoi, we've already drawn water from the well- Mikan?!"

Anna nearly drops the basin of water as Nonoko runs to me, " We were so worried about you, what happened? We thought you were dead for sure after you went with the Prince." Anna joins her at my side, " You two already know Mikan? Aoi asks in a slightly bewildered tone, " We met in the streets one day,"

I wave my hand dismissively, " Besides that what are you two doing here?" Anna leans against the table, " I work here half time in the kitchens and such while Nonoko works as the royal physician." Nonoko messily puts her hair up into a bun before resting her hands on her hips, " Is there anything you want for dinner?" Misaki lays out the vegetables on the table, " For the love of all that's sane in this world, _meat. Please._"

Tsubasa wraps his arms around Misaki, she jumps slightly and turns to face him, " Tsubasa! Let go now!"

She laughs happily, Aoi nudges my side, " We should probably leave, no need to interrupt a young display of love."

She ushers me out of the room, love? It's such a foreign sounding word, " What does love mean exactly? I've never heard of it?" Aoi stops dead in her tracks and turns to me with a strange look plastered to her face, " What do you mean? You should know what love means,"

I shake my head and she blushes slightly, " W-Well… Love is a feeling you have towards someone else, it's a more advanced feeling of attachment." She stutters uncertainly, " I think I might understand a bit better now." I say thoughtfully, if love looks like the display I saw earlier between Misaki and Tsubasa I think I'd like to experience this feeling.

" So, how would one display 'love' to another person?"

Aoi laughs uncomfortably, " There are many ways I suppose, perhaps like this."

She takes my hand, " You would look them straight in the eyes and confess your love for them by saying that your feelings for them."

I nod, her bright eyes shine as the light hits them; after leaving the kitchen she proceeded to show me more of the garden, " Aoi? Is that you?"

A male voice calls out hesitantly and Aoi jumps up, " Ruka!"

She charges towards a young man with light blonde hair, he catches her in his arms, " Calm down, you'll drag him to the ground with that weight of yours." It's only then that I notice a scowling Natsume next to Ruka and a squealing Aoi, " Don't be so harsh Natsume,"

Ruka scolds him lightly before turning his attention to me, " That's Mikan, she'll be staying with us for the time being."

Natsume says dismissively and I stand, " Have you greeted Hotaru yet? You haven't been home in a while." Aoi asks and Ruka shakes his head, " I imagine she's been pent up in the lab all day, she only ever let's Nonoko in to help her with experiments." Natsume sighs while running a hand through his already tousled hair, " Let's go check on her, it's almost time for dinner too."

We walk into a dully light room as a feminine figure works furiously at a work table; her dark hair is cut short and her violet eyes are almost always narrowed in annoyance, " Who is this?" She asks while giving me a dull stare, " My name is Mikan, I assume your Hotaru?"

She stands and observes me, " You remind me of a lost kitten in some ways but that doesn't mean I intend to treat you such."

I feel oddly comforted in her presence, she's got a powerful aura that embraces her entire body, she extends a hand towards me and I stare at it for a moment, remembering Aoi's words from our earlier conversation, "_In order to confess your love to someone you'd need to take them by the hand and look them straight in the eyes and confess your love for them by saying that your feelings for them._" I stare at the pale hand in front of me; is this feeling of comfortableness love? I take her hand hesitantly,

" I love you too?"

**I'm going to say this now. This isn't going to be a Mikan and Hotaru love story. I wanted to show how little Mikan knows about the world social aspects, like love and more advanced feelings. I might be saying a bit too much now but I'm going to say it anyway so no one misunderstands or anything; I'm bi-sexual. I in no way, shape or form intend to tease or make light of such delicate topics such as love and sexuality; to me, love is love. No matter who it's with. Off the deep topic of sexuality and onto more light hearted matters I was sick for most of the week, it's been dreadfully cold where I live lately and I've been walking to and from school in sub-zero weather ( I thought I'd freeze over while walking home one day) I hope you all have a nice week, bye!**


	6. Chapter 6 A Voice Carried On The Wind

**So some of my viewers have been asking me to change my writing format, I've only got one thing to say to all of you.**

**No.**

**No, I won't change my writing format cause you all whine about how difficult it is to read it, deal with it… Ok, that was a joke ( And a poor one too) I'll TRY to write like how you all want me to but I'm a lazy person and it's always been easier for me to write like how I already do.**

**But I'll try, I suppose.**

A moment of silence fills the small room; Hotaru stares at me, violet eyes tinged with a slight look of confusion that doesn't meet her face.

" Nice to meet you too, I think that's what she meant." Natsume and Aoi suddenly break in between the two of us, Ruka fidgets slightly as a flush spreads over his face.

" It's fine, it's important to make an interesting first meeting." She turns back to the multiple glasses on the table, one nearly bubbles over but she quickly covers it with a deep sigh,

" I suppose I'll accompany you all to dinner," She cracks her knuckles and stretches before walking to the door, " Hurry up then, I'm not in the mood to wait." She gestures at us as she leaves,

" Ah! Wait a moment Hotaru!" Aoi calls as she runs to catch up with her, Ruka quickly follows behind her; leaving only Natsume and me, he shoots me a look,

" Don't say something like that to someone you just met, you fool.

He shakes his head disapprovingly as he makes his way towards the door, I follow after his receding figure,

" You can't talk to me like that! What did I do wrong? Aoi told me that's what I'm supposed to do when expressing feelings of affection towards someone."

The others walk far ahead of us, I narrow my eyes at the back of Natsume's head as I struggle to keep up with his long strides.

The corridor is quickly embraced with sunlight that streams through the windows that litter the walls, he stops for a fraction of a second; the rays of light seem to envelop his figure as he stands in front of the open window, deep crimson eyes stare down at me with what looks like annoyance trapped in his stare,

" Don't listen to _anything_ that dunce says in the future, at least try and act a little normal." He pinches my cheek before walking off to catch up with the others,

" Wait for me!"

" Your all rather late for dinner," Kaoru observes as she sips what appears to be wine; Tono and Tsubasa sit on either side of her with Misaki to Tsubasa's left, " We were busy looking for Hotaru," Aoi quickly falls into a chair, " Mikan, sit near me." She begs and I take my place next to her, " I suppose that sums up where I'll be sitting as well." Hotaru grabs a plate and starts to place all sorts of delicacies on it, Natsume and Ruka both shoot each other a look before taking a seat next to Tono who heartily laughs and ruffles their hair,

" I apologise for being late, Queen Kaoru." A man with light blonde hair and a slightly flirtatious tone breezes through the open door with a younger man at his side, dark hair covers most of his face but he still matches the tall height of the man next to him,

" Narumi, you're always late." She tilts her head slightly, " I expect very little of you when it comes to appearing on time."

He chuckles as his eyes sweep the table, " It seems we've got another person here tonight." I look up at him, his eyes widen and he suddenly moves closer to me,

" There's no way…" He clutches my chin and turns my face side to side before letting go and turning to Kaoru,

" Is she-" Kaoru stands, rattling the table as she slams down her wine glass,

" Just try to finish that sentence." Her threat fills the room, silencing any opposing thoughts.

" Stop being so loud, some of us are trying to eat in peace." Hotaru rips a piece of chicken off the bone and devours it quickly, Narumi eyes her for a moment before pulling out a chair, " Don't just stand there Persona, sit." Tsubasa gestures towards a seat across from him; The room quickly fills with others, Hotaru's older brother Subaru and two boys, Kokoro and Kitsune make an appearance. Aoi talks to me about the food with Hotaru sending side comments every once and a while, I merely nod when someone talks me; it feels strange to have so many people near me at once, almost suffocating in this tower of stone,

" Don't you agree? Mikan?" I look over at Aoi, her face displaying worry,

" I'm fine, just a bit tired." Misaki stands, " You don't look too good though," She lays a hand on my head, " You might have a fever." Hotaru stands,

" I'll take you to your room, no pay necessary." I frown, " I'm fine, really." Natsume rolls his eyes,

" Don't argue, if you're sick then your sick. Go rest." He waves his hand and a horde of maids burst through the door and pick me up,

" Let me go!" I shriek as they carry me out of the room with Aoi following behind while dragging Hotaru with a crab leg in hand.

" You do have a fever, don't get up." Aoi warns, nearly as threatening as Natsume. I turn over in my bed; I'm not sick, I just miss the forest. The separation has struck me numb, I sit her in a forest of stone as my own forest is slowly dying. Grandmother tree had no right to send me away, I am as much a guardian of the forest as the other guardians. I growl into my pillow, " Stop whining, I'll shove this crab leg down your throat." Hotaru grumbles as she stuffs another piece of bread into her mouth.

" We'll return in a moment, stay in bed." Aoi stands and Hotaru opens the door, when I can no longer hear their foot steps I arise from my bed and go to the window,

" _Child of the goddess…" _I turn slightly, surprised at the sudden voice, it sounds nothing like the winds voice nor the earths voice; it's far weaker.

" _Don't let your negative thoughts affect your trust towards these people, they mean to keep you safe… Don't try to leave, far worse dangers lie outside these walls." _I close my eyes, the voice is.. oddly comforting,

" Who are you?" I ask the air around me as I peer through the open window and out onto the night sky,

" _Some might call me goddess but I prefer being called Alice,"_

** Ok, so there. My attempt at writing in this format, I don't quite know how I feel about it yet. Well, I've introduced a few more characters in this chapter. It's been snowing all day where I live so I've been snowed in ( Send help!) I hope you're all getting better weather than I am, Bye!**


	7. Chapter 7 Burning Realizations

_ Rain that falls regardless of a child's groans and cries,_

_hastily putting aside plans for future sunny skies._

_Hair that falls in dark waves, cloaking sullen eyes. A__ mere whisper stating_

_" I guess I'll stay inside."_

**It's been raining all day where I live and I thought up this poem during class while the sound of drumming rain steadily hit the windows,**  
><strong>I actually really enjoy the rain ( It's not fun to walk home in though) but today I was hoping to have a nice, sunny walk home. Instead I got soaked. Let's start this chapter.<strong>

The wind seems to go still for a moment as I stare up into a night sky completely void of stars,

" Do you honestly think that me sitting in a fortress of stone will do anything for the forest of origin? I owe nothing to these people, they've got no right to keep me here." I cross my arms, resting them under my bust.

"_ You hold such arrogance in your tone, you'd surely be dead without the protection of these people." The voice sound rough with irritation,_

_ "_ I care little of what you have to say," I turn away from the window, " You are no goddess of mine."

Silence fills the air and I turn to go back to my bed at the sound of voices outside of my room,

"_ You'll regret your words of arrogance but for the time being, do not attempt to do anything rash."_

I fall into bed, burying my face into the plush mattress before somehow drifting off into a world as dark as tonights starless sky.

I awake to a ray of sunlight embracing my room with a nearly uncomfortable warmth, I slip out from under the blankets before rolling out onto the floor.

Last nights conversation with this so called 'goddess' has left me with a strange feeling in my chest, I recognize this emotion although it's reason for plaguing my thoughts is still unknown to me.

_Longing._

I don't understand why the words rings out in my mind, I feel as though I'm missing a part of myself. I shake my head and stand, stumbling over to the door, which is slightly ajar,

" And just where do you think your parading off to?" I turn sluggishly to see a slightly ruffled looking Natsume in his bed clothes, leaning against the open door that connects our rooms,

" I'm hungry." I state and give him a blank stare, " What's it to you?" He frowns disapprovingly before pointing at my mess of a bed, " Lay down, you look awful." After a moment of silence between us both he groans and heads towards me, I move backwards slightly in an attempt to create some space between us but his long strides overpower my hesitant steps backwards and he scoops me up, throwing me over his shoulder,

" Stop now, let me down!" I throw my arms about wildly before I'm thrown harshly onto my bed, " I'll get your food, stay in bed." He says gruffly and heads towards the door but turns back slightly before exiting,

" And if you try to leave again I'll make sure to tie you to the bed." His threat lingers in the room long after he's left, I let out an exasperated sigh and throw my head back but quickly sit back up as a rustling sound makes it's way to my ears, Bear sits up from my bag in the corner and climbs onto my bed,

" Bear?" His black button eyes lay solely on me as I pause for a moment,

" If I asked you to escape with me, would you come?" Bear comes closer to me and I expect him to climb onto my lap but instead of that he rests his paw on my own hand and looks up at me; I can almost see the words in his normally emotionless eyes,

" Thank you, I was so worried you wouldn't come with me," I cuddle his small frame to my chest but he goes stiff in my arms and I set him down,

" That settles it then, we'll leave at tomorrows first light." I smile at the thought of returning home, my thoughts are interrupted by the creaking of a door,

" Just where do you think your going in the first place?" I feel my smile fall from my face as Natsume enters the room with a small bowl in hand and a narrowed set of eyes land on mine,

" Will you attempt to stop me?" He sets the bowl on my lap and gives me a cold glare,

" Normally I'd knock you unconscious," He sits on the left hand side of my bed, staring out the open window, " But I think I'll indulge you, just this once." I suck in a breathe before smiling broadly and launching my body into his arms, nearly knocking him over,

" Thank you so much, I don't know how to repay you but I swear-" He doesn't respond to my embrace, he holds me out at arms length, a small smirk gracing his lips,

" I never said I'd do it for free," I freeze, " What do you want from me in return?" He grins almost wickedly,

" You have to listen to everything I say during the entirety of the trip, deal?" I nod, " Deal."

I spend most of the day in my room, packing the few things I have into my bag. After I'm finished I make my way out of the room and out into the vacant hallway, my bare feet still feel strange against the marble halls, " _Soon I won't have to contend with them at all." _I giggle from excitement,

"_ You'll regret your actions, foolish child."_ I go stiff at the sound of the winds voice but quickly sprit down the halls to a windowless stairway, I won't let anything get in my way of returning, anything.

I exit the main castle and sigh with content as I feel the soft grass of the courtyard under my feet, I wonder where the garden Natsume showed me resigns within the castle walls.

" Going for a walk?" I jump slightly as Hotaru appears from out of no where, a glass full of a strange liquid in hand, " It's a test, far too tedious to work on inside." She shrugs and puts it on the ground before heading in front of me,

" I'm bored, join me on a walk." I push my hair back before jogging to her side,

" You must be an idiot," She states and then gestures towards my feet,

" You'll injure yourself if you don't wear shoes, dunce." She hits the back of my head with her hand, I clutch it in pain,

" Y-You! Why'd-" She walks briskly ahead, ignoring my growls of anger,

" If you hurt yourself everyone will worry, especially me." I pause my angry mumblings at the sudden sound of gentleness in her normally cold voice but before I can say anything she turns to face me,

" Hurry now, if you don't hurry up I'll leave you," Her voice is back to it's original coldness but none the less I still hurry to her side, friends in arms as the sun starts to set at it's horizon and the moon arises in it's place.

" Get up," A gruff voice pulls me from my sleep, I groan and turn over in bed,

" I'm tired..." I mumble into my pillows, still mostly asleep,

" Get up now or I won't follow through on the deal we made yesterday, understand?" I barely recognize Natsume's voice as he whispers; my room is still dark and the air feels thick, I rise groggily,

" What do you want?" I ask and I can hear Natsume sigh,

" Do you want to leave or not?" My eyes snap open as I remember yesterdays plans,

" Sorry, I'm awake now," I slip out of bed and start to slip off my night gown, " I'll be ready in a moment-" Natsume throws the blankets at my naked form,

" Are you daft?" He hisses and I can see the outline of his silhouette turn to face the opposite wall,

" Don't just get changed in front of anyone, your lucky I can barely see you right now." I roll my eyes,

" Anna had the same reaction when I got changed in front of her, I don't understand what the big fuss is about." I sigh and slip a what I think is a deep green dress over my body before grabbing my bag, I can feel Bears sleeping figure in the bag,

" Whatever, hurry up." He stands and softly pads towards the door and out into the hallway, I quickly follow him down the hallway with signs of the morning sun slowly rising streaming lightly through the windows. When we reach the exiting gate Natsume whistles slightly; an ebony horse quickly trots into place and he hoists me up before throwing himself onto the horse, " Hold onto me, don't let go or you'll fall off." I grip the front of his shirt before closing my eyes, " Get some sleep, it'll take a while to reach the forest of origin." He softly whispers into my ear and I'll lulled to sleep by the sound of his steady heartbeat.

" We're almost there," I feel hands shaking my sides slightly, the bright afternoon sun greats me as I crack my eyes open; we're currently near a large, flowing stream with fish swimming upstream, " Here, you must be thirsty." Natsume hands me a small pouch of what I assume is water and I take a grateful drink, " How much longer till we reach it?" I ask and lean back against him, my head against his chin,

" Perhaps twenty minutes or so." I nod and close my eyes as the suns warmth envelopes us,

" Do you remember what we agreed on earlier? About you doing whatever I told you to do?" I open my eyes but don't say anything,

" My order for you is that once we reach the woods you'll be returning with me." I whip my head around,

" I'm not returning." I frown and look up at him, his face is solid as always with his resolve,

" Yes, you are." I open my mouth again but the horse stops moving and I turn in excitement to face my beautiful forest- Oh god.

I push Natsume away from me and try to get back onto the ground, he catches my hand,

" Do you see now? You've got no place to return to anymore." He picks me up and slides off the horse, letting go of me when we reach the ground. I rest on the ground, tears tracing my cheek bones and falling to the scorched grounds of the forest,

" Why?" I tremble as my body becomes racked with tears; my forest has been stained black, the tree's leaves look like dulled iron welded to what's left of the burnt branches.

Nothing. Nothing is left to salvage from the destructive force that's ransacked my homelands in flames.

** I feel so tired, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Don't forget to leave some reviews and I hope you all enjoyed the poem I wrote at the beginning, bye!**


	8. Nope, Sadly Not A Chapter

_** I asked for a lock of your hair,**_

_** In an attempt to see how you fair.**_

_** Feelings born, eyes torn.**_

_** Only to be left with a fist full of scorn.**_

** Another poem! Does anyone get it? No? Fine then, I suppose I'll have to explain my strange sense of humor,**  
><strong>It was supposed to be from the point of view a young boy asking a love interest of his for a lock of her hair to show her love for him,<strong>  
><strong>the girl had never shown any interest in him so instead of returning his feelings she punched him square in the face, just lovely poems I think up in a matter of minutes... Enough strange poems, it's time to explain why I'm writing this authors note.<strong>

** So hi everyone... I'm afraid I've got some very bad news to cover in this authors note.**

** I'm afraid this isn't a new chapter and I won't have a new chapter up until next Saturday, tragic I know.**

** I've been nearly suffocated with the amount of work I've been doing in school lately, I've got my spring exams all week.**

** Then a few projects I have to work and don't even get me started with my shortened spring break due to the bad weather we've had to face this winter.**

** I swear I'll try to work on the next chapter throughout the week so I can post a presentable chapter but I just wanted to apologize for the delay.**

** In the mean time I do have a question for you all, I've really been loving the reviews lately and I want to know if there's anything you'd all like to see in future chapters.**

** If I get enough reviews about a certain topic or person ( From Gakuen Alice) you guys want I'll attempt to put them in ( I'll try, at least) So feel free to PM me or leave some reviews.**

** Till next time, my dear friends.**

** P.S. Wish me well on the exams! Also does anyone else watch the TV show called Reign? I love it to death and I highly recommend it to you all, if any of you watch it PM me so we can talk about it! Or Game Of Thrones cause that show is amazing too!**


	9. Chapter 8 Vengeance Born From The Ashes

_** My hearts been caught in a snare, if I move in the slightest it'll cause a tear.**_

**Rhymes are just beautiful things, aren't they? Brighten my days so much.**

* * *

><p>"Are you alright?" Natsume's voice invades my thoughts as he kneels at my side, attempting to pry me from the burnt forest floor,<p>

" Who did this?" I turn to face him, his form is blurred with the tears that well up in my eyes,

" I don't know, I do know that it's time to go back to the castle though." He stands but I dig my nails into the earth; no heart beat, not in the slightest.

_ " Don't waver child..." _I whip my head up towards the sky as the winds now hoarse voice fills the air, _" Hold onto your resolve... Destroy those who did this to us... The grand tree is dead along with the rest of her counsel, that leaves only you..." _

I stand, I feel as if the soot that settles over me is weighing me down,

" I'll return with you but I need a moment alone." Natsume narrows his eyebrows but complies silently as he tends to the horse, I walk around what used to be the tree line until I find a spot that still retains some of the lush attributes it once had, laying my hand against the ash cloaked grass and mumble a small requiem.

An emerald green light flows from my hand and encircles the entire tree line, all at once the burnt stumps brighten slightly but don't return to their original beauty, the grass clears itself of the smothering soot.

I stand and smile briefly but it's short lived at most; it's no longer my forest, the newly planted saplings aren't that of the ones I helped sow last spring and the magic of the forest is hardly there at all,

" Mikan, it's almost sunset. We must get going."

Natsume rests a hand on my shoulder and leans in close to my ear,

" I'm sorry."

I turn quickly to face him but he's already on the horse, " What did you say?"

I ask in a bewildered tone as I mount the horse,

" I said nothing, let's get going."

* * *

><p>" You two are finally back! Where did you?" Aoi jumps onto Natsume the moment he slides off his horse,<p>

" We just went on a ride." Natsume shrugs her off before walking into the castles main doors,

" Mikan, you must tell me where you really went." Aoi runs to my side, her burgundy eyes alight with glee,

" A ride." I answer simply before running after Natsume; when I reach the inside of the castle he is no where to be found instead of him I find Hotaru leaning against the stone wall, her violet eyes filled with a cold glare that she casts upon the floor,

" Hotaru? Has something happened?"

Her eyes flicker over to me, " The queen needs to see you, she'll be inside there." He gestures to her right where the door to the main room rests, " Thank you."

I walk past her but she catches my arm and whispers, " Good luck, make sure you don't crumble in front of her." She lets go and I enter the room,

" It's good to see you, Mikan."

* * *

><p>Queen Kaoru sits perched on her throne, one of her hands grip the sides of her chair as she begins talking,<p>

" From what I've heard from my son you've seen what happened to your home? Yes?"

I clench my fists, " Indeed I have, do you intend to tell me what your next course of action will be?"

She smiles but her eyes remain tired, " You probably don't understand what's currently plaguing our country," She turns her head and a smirk graces her lips,

" Or I suppose I should say 'Who' is plaguing our country, we're in a state of war."

I narrow my eyes, " Just what does that have to do with my forest being burned to the ground?" She frowns,

" Another casualty, just like the villages of ours that they've burned down. It's a message to back down." She rubs her temples,

" And just who is waging these threats?" I rest my hand against my hip,

" Luna and the rest of her idiotic cult that follow her blindly," She mutters angrily, " Luna used to be one of us, a member of the royal counsel before she betrayed us and left with _him."_ She nearly spits out the last word, " Besides that you also play quite the role in this war,"

My eyes widen, " Me?"

" Yes, I can't tell you everything now but you were left to live in the forest for a reason and now that your out of the unwavering grasp of the forest we'll have to protect you as best as may be able to do. If your hurt in anyway this war would extend beyond our borders, that's all I can say for now."

She stands and walks over to me, looking down at me with the eyes of her children,

" Will you help us defeat our enemies, to save my country and to get revenge for the loss of your homelands ?" Her eyes are almost challenging me,

" But of course, my abilities are at your mercy."

* * *

><p>After talking to Kaoru I spent several hours scouring the halls until I finally reached the place called the ' Library' Hotaru told me of this place once at dinner, she said that the wisdom of others had been listed in these so called ' Books' I push the door and my jaw nearly drops at the sheer size of the room before me; large selfs hold what I assume to be books, I pick up the first one I see with a picture of a fairy drawn on the front. The inside is packed full of odd symbols that I don't understand,<p>

" Can you not read? Surely you jest." I jump and drop the book as Nastume's voice echoes in the large room,

" What's the problem if I can't?" I ask bravely as he picks up the book,

" Folk tales, huh? A perfect choice for someone like you." He hands me the book and I sneer at him,

" Your far too cocky, you know that?" He snorts and heads for the door but stops shot and turns slightly, the sun streams in through the window and hits his eyes in such a way that makes them glimmer; My breath hitches slightly as we stare at each other,

" About what I said earlier; In the forest," He stops,

" I'm truly sorry for your loss," He heads out the door but not before saying,

" If you need a shoulder to cry in mine is always open for you."

* * *

><p><strong>I'm finally done with my exams! I'm so happy I could cry, they were a bit hard and I always got home exhausted but I'm just glad to be done with them. Also I updated a day earlier than I said I would, I definitely deserve some cake for that. No? Ok then, besides nonexistent cake what do you guys think about the romance so far? Not too shabby if I say so myself, well whatever. I'm going to get some well deserved sleep. Don't forget to leave some reviews, bye!<strong>


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